Thirteen Days
by Mr. Blender
Summary: What would you do with thirteen days? -FinnxFlamePrincess-
1. Chapter 1

Finn paced nervously around Princess Bubblegum's throne room. She apparently had very urgent news and had called for him to meet her here. From the sound of her voice, he could tell that this was serious business. But what could it be? Was the Lich King free once more? Had a new evil arrived in Ooo, just waiting to face him? He had no idea and was getting more uneasy as more time passed. Finally, the princess walked slowly into the throne room; her face was grave and had a sad look about it. He rushed over to her immediately.

"Princess! What's the trouble? Is something attacking?" He asked with urgency.

"No, Finn. This is an issue of a completely different matter. This is a problem that cannot be fixed, no matter how brave or intelligent a person may be." She said softly.

"Um, what is it then?" Finn asked slowly.

"I am unsure how to tell you this, Finn. You're far too young to have to deal with this sort of thing. Far too-" She paused.

"Princess?"

"It's about Flame Princess."

Finn's eyes narrowed a little bit.

"I already told you, princess. She's not evil anymore. She's a different person than she used to be." Finn said, a hint of anger lacing his voice.

"No, I know. She has proved herself. But, like I said when I first found out she was released from her cage, she is...Unstable.." Bubblegum said cautiously.

"If this is about her power, she has it under control!"

"No, Finn. She is unstable. We kept her in that cage, not only to keep her powers under control, but her body under control as well."

"What do you mean?"

"When you kissed her, she was supposed to destroy the planet by melting right through it. We prevented this. But, that large burst of fire took a large amount of energy to produce. You know that I do tests on her every so often, correct?"

"Yeah, it's to make sure she won't have another loss of control...So?"

"Well, I noticed something in my most recent test. Something terrible.."

"What is it?! Is she in danger?!"

"I'm afraid so. You see, that large blast of fire put her body under more stress than I ever could have anticipated. It left her genetic material severely damaged."

"What does that mean?!"

"She is... Falling apart."

"Falling apart?"

"Every day, her flame grows weaker. One day, her flame will die out completely. She won't notice it. She'll just fall asleep. It's atleast a peaceful way to die." Bubblegum said, sadly.

Finn's eyes filled with tears. He shook his head.

"No! It isn't true! You can fix her somehow, can't you?"

Bubblegum walked to him and held him in a tight embrace.

"Oh, Finn... I tried. I searched for everything! Anything that could reverse the process and spare her life!" She exclaimed, crying openly now.

"H-How long? How long do I have to spend with her?" He asked softly.

Bubblegum released him and slowly walked to the window. Looking out, she sighed heavily.

"Thirteen days."

"Thirteen days?" Finn asked, his shoulders lowering.

"Thirteen days. At the end of the thirteenth, her flame will burn out and she will die."

"How am I going to tell her?"

"Don't. It will only make her condition worse. Spend your last thirteen days with her and make her last hours comfortable."

"Alright."

"I'm sorry, Finn."

"It's alright. I'll deal with it." Finn said, walking slowly out of the throne room.

"I'll make her last days the best she's ever had!"

_What would you do with thirteen days?_


	2. Chapter 2

-_Day 13_-

Flame Princess was jarred out of her sleep by a knocking on her door. She groaned and slowly got up out of her bed. Who could it be at this hour? She didn't really care, but they were going ear-full. You don't just wake a fire spirit at 2 a.m. without a little anger being shown. She tied up her robe and started towards the door, grumbling the whole way. She opened the door, ready to take out her anger on whatever had decided to wake her up and found Finn standing at the door. Embarrassed that she wasn't exactly presentable, she blushed and waved at him.

"H-Hi, Finn..Um.. I didn't expect to see you here." She said softly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up... Well, actually I did mean to wake you up, but.. Not.. In the way that I did. I hope I didn't wake you up earlier than yo-"

She put a finger to his lips. "Finn, it's no big deal. Did you need something?"

"I kind of wanted to show you something cool that I've been meaning to show you."

"Cool biz, what is it?" She asked with a smile.

"Well, if I tell you, it won't be as cool when we get there."

"Alright! Just let me get changed, I'll be right out!" She exclaimed, going quickly inside.

Finn looked toward the moon. He sighed sadly.

"Yeah.. I'll be waiting.."

* * *

Marceline floated silently in the sky, humming a tune she had just remembered a few days ago. "_I don't want to live without her, even though at times I've lost my-_" She was interrupted by the sight of Finn and Flame Princess walking in the forest below. She wondered what they were doing up so early. It wasn't normal for FP to be up until atleast noon.

"_They must be on some sort of adventure._" She thought vaguely.

She figured she should probably go down and say hello or something. Floating down and landing on a tree branch behind the pair, she spoke in a cool voice.

"Boy, a pair of lovebirds. They're not usually out this late. My hunt's going good tonight."

"Oh. Hi, Marceline!" Flame Princess said happily.

My, wasn't she glowing this morning. Well, not just literally, but figuratively as well.

"What are you guys doing out here in the big, scary forest?" Marceline asked sarcastically.

"What are you doing flying around the big, scary forest?" Finn countered with a smile.

"I'm a creature of the night, Finn. Vampires dig scary forests."

"Well, I'm an adventurer and I totes dig scary forests."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Yup."

"Alright, "Mighty Warrior", I'll leave you two alone. You've obviously got some stuff to be doing." Marceline said, grinning.

"Yeah, see you around." Finn said.

Marceline couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something about this just seemed... wrong. Having been alive for a thousand years, she had learned to trust her guts when it came to this feeling. Sure, Finn seemed absolutely fine to a normal being. She, however, noticed that some part of him was almost... sad.

"You all right, Finn?"

"Yeah. It's just that me and Flame Princess really need to get to where we're going before it's all over. It doesn't last that long and there's only a short time to witness it." Finn explained.

"Hmm, taking your girlfriend out. That's nice." Marceline said slowly.

"What's the matter, Marceline?" Flame Princess asked.

"Huh? Nothing. You two have fun and stay out of trouble."

Marceline watched as they walked deeper into the forest. She couldn't help but feel that something was going on.

"_I will never give up on her.."_ She hummed softly.

* * *

"Finn, how far until we're there?"

"Not long, don't worry."

They suddenly came upon a clearing in the middle of the forest. Finn laughed and put his arms out.

"Here we are!"

Flame Princess looked around slowly at the clearing. It didn't seem all that cool, really.

"Uh, Finn? There isn't anything here. It's just... a clearing." She said, confused.

"Right now, it is. But soon it will be the most totally awesome thing you've ever seen!"

"It will?"

"I promise, you'll love it!"

"Alright." She said sitting down in the grass.

She was happy that she had learned to control her power more, resulting in her not setting fire to everything she touched. It was also a positive that she could kiss Finn without burning him. Sure, it was warm, but nothing they couldn't handle. She looked back up at Finn and patted the grass next to her. He smiled and took a seat next to her.

"So, how long do you think it'll take?"

"Not long. They should be here any time now."

Flame Princess looked toward the trees and noticed small orbs of light appearing in the tops of the trees. Her eyes lit up as the orbs started to come out of the trees. The orbs flew from the trees silently and rotated around the pair.

"Finn.."

"Just wait. It gets better."

The orbs swiftly rocketed up into the sky and burst into a brilliant, red light. Upon exploding, they transformed into brilliant birds. Flames adorned their crests and they left trails of red fire in the sky as they flew. Flame Princess gasped at the gorgeous display unfolding in front of her.

"I discovered these guys a couple years ago by complete accident. Me and Jake were out adventuring when they suddenly burst out of the trees."

"They're beautiful."

"Some people in Ooo fear them because of their potential for destruction.."

He slowly took her hand. She looked into his eyes.

"But, I know what they're really like. I know they aren't destructive. They're the most beautiful creatures in the land, but also the most misunderstood." He said, squeezing her hand a little tighter.

"If people gave them a chance, they would find out they aren't bad at all. They are so sweet and caring. They couldn't harm a fly." Finn said softly, a tear starting to run down his face.

She smiled back. "Well, it's a good thing they have a person who understands them."

"Yeah."

The pair sat in silence, watching the display and enjoying each other's company.

* * *

They arrived back at Flame Princess's house at around 4 a.m.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Finn. It was wonderful."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"See you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely."

She kissed him softly on the lips.

"See you then."

She walked back inside and shut the door. Finn sighed.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting."

* * *

Flame Princess lay in bed, unable to sleep. She was so excited to see him again. Tonight, they had definitely gone farther in their relationship and it was obvious that he cared greatly for her. She saw nothing but happiness in her future.

"See you tomorrow.." She sighed happily.


	3. Chapter 3

_-Day 8-_

Flame Princess hummed a soft tune as she got dressed. Exactly five days ago, Finn had taken her on quite truely the most romantic dates she'd ever been on. Ever since then, he'd been hanging out with her a lot more often. He'd taken her to see so many sights in the land and she cherished every minute of it.

"Hmm.. This dress or this dress?" She wondered, looking back and forth at the two.

Standing in front of the mirror, she held one dress in front of her body; she then took that one away and held the other one up.

"Hmpf.. They both look pretty good.." She groaned.

She didn't want to be one of those girls who took hours to get dressed, but she still wanted to look good. She casually looked back at the mirror and noticed something about her hair. It didn't seem as bright as it was a couple days ago. She frowned and ran her hand through it.

"Why can't this hair ever do what I want it to?" She mumbled.

She probably hadn't gotten enough sleep last night. Her flames tended to be a bit less bright when she was tired. She didn't dwell on it to long, as she had to get ready to go. Finn was coming by this afternoon and she wanted to be ready to leave when he arrived.

* * *

Marceline plucked an apple from the tree whose limb she was sitting on. Her eyes scanned slowly across the cloudy landscape. It had been some days ago since she had seen Finn and in all honesty that pleased her. Seeing him that night had brought back memories from her own life that were better off forgotten by her. She was confident that he was concerned greatly about something, but hiding this emotion with a thinly veiled smile. This concerned her for a number of reasons, as Finn was usually a really happy-go-lucky kind of person. His sudden dispositon signaled something terrible was about to happen. Of course, she could have just been over-analyzing the situation. She had a tendancy to do that sometimes. She bit into the apple, sucking the color until it was just a grey sphere. After tossing it off the tree, it made a loud thunk directly underneath her.

"Ow."

Looking down, she saw Finn rubbing the top of his head gingerly.

"Hey, Finn. Long time no see."

He didn't respond. Instead, he jumped up onto the branch she was sitting on and took a seat himself. He looked nervous.

"Something eating you?" Marceline asked.

"I have to ask you something.." He replied softly.

"Go ahead."

"I know that you've lived a long time..."

"Yup. One-Thousand, Five Hundred and Eleven years, actually."

"How did you.."

He hesitated and rubbed his arm. Marceline's eyebrow raised slightly.

"How did I what?"

"How did you say goodbye to the people you cared about? The ones you outlived?"

Marceline's eyes widened. She certainly hadn't expected this, not from Finn. She didn't want to pry, but at the same time she wanted to know where this had come from.

"What's going on, Finn?"

She saw his eyes start to tear up. He was staring directly into her eyes.

"Flame Princess is dying and I don't think I can let her go."

* * *

Bubblegum worked feverishly in her lab. There had to be something, anything, that could stop , or at least slow, her condition. She had to stop this somehow. It would destroy him. But, juggling a kingdom and the seemingly impossible task of saving Flame Princess had left her with no sleep at all. She was certain it had been a week since she had even a minute of sleep. There must have been something she had overlooked!

"There has to be! I can't let this happen!" She shouted.

"Bonnie?"

Bubblegum looked back and saw Marceline flying in through the doorway. After landing on the floor, she looked around with a shocked expression. Bubblegum didn't blame her. Her lab was a wreck from all she had been doing lately. Bubblegum herself wasn't looking so good either. Her normally well-kept hair was a mess, with strands of hair falling over her face and deep bags under her eyes. Marceline looked back at Bubblegum and sighed.

"I think you know you can't save her."

"Finn told you?"

"Yes, he talked to me about it."

"How's he holding up?"

"He's sad, but he knows what he has to do."

Bubblegum slumped in her chair and sighed sadly. Marceline walked over next to her and sat down on the table. Both girls sat in silence.

"What am I doing, Marcie? I've tried everything. But, some naive part of me is still hoping to come across an answer. Something I overlooked when I started." Bubblegum spoke painfully.

"It's the motive of all living things to cheat death. But in the end, it doesn't matter. Death comes to everything; Nothing can escape it. Living for so long has showed me this. Even me, a supposed "Immortal Vampire" will eventually meet my end. Whether it's the sun or by the edge of a stake, death will come. No one lives forever." Marceline said with a serious tone.

Tears rolled down Bubblegum's face and she suddenly embraced Marceline. A little surprised, she hugged her back. They stayed that way for a long time. Bubblegum finally broke the embrace and looked back to the ground.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't sweat it."

"He's so young, Marceline.. How is he going to get over this?"

"I think he's stronger than you give him credit for, Bonnie."

"I know. But, I can't help but worry about them. He finally has a loving relationship.. and Flame Princess has only just started to live a happy life. They were so happy. To have something that wonderful suddenly ripped away from you like this.."

"All we can do now is have his back in his darkest hour. It's all we **can** do for him."

"You're right."

Marceline frowned and looked down at the ground.

"How long does she have left?"

"Seven days, not counting this one."

Marceline sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, we have another issue.."

Bubblegum looked back at her. "What is that?"

"Flame King doesn't know that his daughter is dying. Someone has to tell him what's going on."

"I know this. I was hoping that I could find a solution. I didn't want to cause him stress if I could find a way to stop it. But, there is no way to stop it." Bubblegum stated sadly.

"I'll head out to the Flame Kingdom tomorrow."

* * *

Finn walked through the forest and thought about his earlier conversation with Marceline. She hadn't said much on the subject, as it was still a touchy subject to her. But, she did give him good advice about what he needed to do.

_"She's dying?" Marceline asked softly._

_"Yeah, Bubblegum said that she's tried everything. Nothing will work. I hope she doesn't feel like this is her fault. If it's anybody's fault, it's mine. I kissed her that day. I caused all this."_

_"Finn!" Marceline said with a sudden anger that surprised him._

_"You didn't cause this. If you keep thinking like this, you're not going to enjoy the last days you spend with her!"_

_"How exactly am I supposed to do that!?" Finn shouted angrily._

_"Finn.." Marceline said, returning her voice back to a softer tone._

_"How can I say goodbye to her when she doesn't even know she's dying?!"_

_"You can't. You can only enjoy any time you have left. I'm not going to lie and say it'll be easy. It won't be. Letting go is probably the hardest thing to do in life."_

_"What can I do?"_

_"You show her how much you love her. You show her exactly what she means to you. What you should be asking yourself is what __**you**__ want to do with her last days. Say goodbye in your own way. Nothing I can say will help you with that. You have to do it."_

_"You're right." Finn said with a sad smile._

_"Good Luck, Finn."_

Finn smiled as he approached her house. She was sitting on the steps and waved to him as he came into view.

"Hey, Finn!" She yelled from her steps.

He quickly ran up to her house.

"Hey, FP."

She punched him playfully in the arm. "Where have you been, you butt? I've been waiting forever!"

"Sorry, I got a little sidetracked along the way.."

"It's alright. Let's get going!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the lateness with this one.**

* * *

_-Day 5-_

Finn and Flame Princess walked across the grass. The sky had bloomed into a full sunset. Flame Princess sighed happily and hugged Finn.

"Thanks for taking me out here, Finn."

"No problem."

They both sat down on the ground and admired the view. Finn looked into her eyes and smiled.

"I'm just glad that you're enjoying yourself." He said happily.

She blushed and averted her eyes. She giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Yeah, I am." She said softly, leaning her head back toward his.

Finn hesitated a little, remembering what had come from the last time they had kissed. Should he? He didn't want to seem unwilling and he really did want to kiss her.

"_What am I risking? These are her final days. She doesn't deserve doubt."_ He thought.

He remembered back to the conversation that he had with Marceline a couple days ago.

_"How can I say goodbye to her when she doesn't even know she's dying?!"_

_"You can't. You can only enjoy any time you have left. I'm not going to lie and say it'll be easy. It won't be. Letting go is probably the hardest thing to do in life."_

_"What can I do?"_

_"You show her how much you love her. You show her exactly what she means to you. What you should be asking yourself is what __**you**__ want to do with her last days. Say goodbye in your own way. Nothing I can say will help you with that. You have to do it."_

_"You're right." Finn said with a sad smile._

Finn leaned his head forward and their lips met. She gasped and suddenly jerked away. She fell backwards onto the ground, doubled over in pain and screaming.

"Auuugh!"

Finn was immediately at her side.

"What's wrong?! What's happening?!"

"I don't know!" She screamed, tears flowing from her eyes.

"N-No! You were supposed to have four days left!" Finn said, choking back a sob.

"W-What are you talking about?"

Finn's eyes flowed with tears as he looked back at her.

"Bubblegum told me eight days ago that you would die in exactly thirteen days.." Finn sobbed.

"Why wouldn't you tell me that?"

"I-I couldn't.. It would accelerate your condition.."

Her beautiful face, still twisted in pain, now had a look of anger on it.

"So, the only reason..you took me out...was because of pity?"

"No! I-"

"Get away from me!" She yelled, pushing him away and turning her body away from him.

"Flame Princess, I-" He stopped when he heard a soft crying. The sound threatened to tear his very heart out of his body.

"Finn..I thought you loved me.." She said softly.

"I do!"

"Pity is not love, Finn."

"It wasn't pity! I would have told you if it didn't put you in danger!"

"Well, at least now I know..." She spat.

Finn swallowed and looked at her sadly, trying to think of something to say.

"Flame Princess, I-"

"I hate you."

He stared at her shock. She looked back at him with venomous eyes.

"I'll never forgive you. This is all your fault." She whispered, teeth gritting together in pain.

He tried to kneel beside her, but she faced the other way. Her whole body was twitching in what had to be pure agony.

_All Your Fault._

The world became hazy and confusing, her flame dying out.

_All My Fault._

He brought her up in his arms. She was limp and her body was cold.

_So Cold.._

Tears flowed from his eyes. She was gone.

_I'll Never Forgive You._

* * *

Finn was jerked out of his sleep covered in a cold sweat. His eyes scanned the room and his surroundings. He was home. He put a shaking hand to his face.

"It was just a dream.." He whispered.

He sighed and looked out the window at the moon.

"Not a dream for much longer."

He couldn't stand this. He had to tell her what was happening. He owed her that much.

* * *

Marceline flew toward the Flame Kingdom. She cursed the fact that it was so far away and had thus taken her a few days to get to. But, she would reach the kingdom faster than Bubblegum would have and it was decided that she would break the news to the Flame King. She hated leaving her friends when they needed her. Bonnie was a wreck, Finn was dealing with tragedies he shouldn't have to deal with, and Flame Princess was completely clueless to her fate. Not only that, but she had to tell a father that his daughter was dying.

"What a pleasant week this is turning out to be.." She sighed.

* * *

"WHAT?!" A hollow bellowing came from the Flame Kingdom throne room.

"She's dying, your majesty." Marceline said sadly.

The king looked sick. His face had a greenish complexion to it and he moved in sluggish motions. He was in denial and didn't seem to believe his daughter's fate.

"Is there nothing you can do?" He asked with sadness.

"I'm afraid not. Princess Bubblegum has tried everything. There is no way to change what's going to happen."

"I understand." Flame King said, a tear running down his cheek.

Marceline couldn't tell, but she could have swore she heard the king muttering something to himself. She was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable in this place. It was already hard enough telling him the news, but his demeanor was making her nervous.

"It's all his fault..." She heard him whisper.

"What?"

"**It's all his fault!**" Flame King screamed, slamming his fist into the wall and shattered it.

"Calm down. We'll figure this out." Marceline said calmly.

Flame King turned around toward Marceline and glared at her.

"Finn the Human shall die for what he has done." He said darkly, walking toward the door.

Marceline flew in the way and blocked his path.

"This isn't Finn's fault."

"I trusted that he would care for my daughter. She is dying. I have no further need for you, vampire queen. Step aside."

Marceline hissed in response. "I'm not going to let you hurt him!"

"What about my daughter, vampire?! The one responsible deserves punishment!"

"Look, I know you're angry. But, killing Finn will do nothing to help her."

"Get out of my way."

"No." She hissed.

"**THEN YOU SHALL DIE WITH HIM!**" Flame King yelled, lashing his hand forward and gripping the side of Marceline's face. She tried to pull his hand away, but he was much too strong. His hand began to glow and a searing pain flashed through her face. It was like a sun. The pain was so immense that tears began to fall from her eyes. She was powerless to stop him and the pain was making her weaker by the second. Was this it?

"_Is this how I'm going to die?_"

"**Vampire, did you really think you stood a chance against me?! You seek to fight someone who can create the power of a sun?!**" He yelled, lifting her into the air and slamming her hard into the ground. She groaned weakly as bits of tile fell from her hair. Her hand reached up and touched the side of her face he had touched. She could feel that most of the skin was completely burned. Flame King walked up to her body and kneeled beside her.

"You go back to Finn and tell him that his life will end on the day her life ends. That he will pay for what he's done to my daughter." He said with a smile.

He frowned at her lack of movement and kicked her.

"Go."

Marceline weakly moved in an effort to stand.

"I guess that I will have to make you leave."

* * *

_Day 4_

It was nearing night and Finn could not find Flame Princess anywhere. He hadn't seen her all day and it was beginning to worry him. He had decided to check with Princess Bubblegum. If anyone knew where she was, it was her.

* * *

Flame Princess walked into Bubblegum's castle. She sighed. Flame Princess had never been one for check-ups, but after her little "incident" Bubblegum had decided it would be best to make sure she didn't have any more outbursts. Oddly, Bubblegum hadn't contacted her the day before to remind her. This was strange, as Bubblegum was normally very routine about this. She would always contact Flame Princess a day before a scheduled check-up to make sure she hadn't forgotten. Bubblegum **never** forgot. Strange as it was, she decided she had better go anyway. She didn't want Bubblegum chewing her out, after all. She walked into the lab, just as she always did. The sight of the lab made her gasp. It was a mess. It looked like a crazy person had ran around and made it their home.

"What happened here?"

She heard the door rattle and Bubblegum stepped in, looking weary and run down.

"Bubblegum?"

Bubblegum looked up at Flame Princess and gasped, as if she was surprised to see her there.

"F-Flame Princess? W-What are you doing here?" She asked with a quiet voice.

"I'm here for my check-up... What happened-"

She was interrupted by a loud rapping on the window.

"Um.. Hold that thought." Bubblegum said softly.

She walked toward the window and opened it. A huge bird was waiting outside, it's wings keeping it in flight by the window.

"Your majesty." It said, bowing it's head.

"Yes?"

"I found this girl outside the fire kingdom. She was in rough shape, so I brought her here as quickly as I could." It said, raising it's talons up to the window.

"Marcie?!"

Marceline looked terrible. Terrible burns covered her body and one side of her face was hideously scarred. Bubblegum thanked the bird and took her into the lab.

"Oh, Marcie. What did they do to you?" Bubblegum said hugging Marceline's motionless body.

Flame Princess stared in disbelief.

"What happened to her?"

"I.." Bubblegum started.

"He's coming for him.."

They both turned toward Marceline, who had sat up a little.

"Who?" Flame Princess asked.

"Don't speak, Marcie. Rest. You need your strength." Bubblegum said softly, pushing her back down.

"I can't. He's going to kill Finn."

"Who is?" Flame Princess asked urgently.

"Your Father.."

"My Father?! Why?!"

"I know why." Bubblegum said solemnly.

"What is it?"

"You're.."

"What is it?! Tell me!"

"Your death."


	5. Chapter 5

"W-What?"

"Your death."

Flame Princess looked around the room frantically, trying to comprehend what was happening. Her death? How? Who would kill her? Why now, when she was the closest to happiness then she had ever been in her life? A million questions flooded her mind, none providing her the least bit of comfort. She tried to speak, but no sound could present itself. She finally spoke softly.

"My death?"

Bubblegum avoided her eyes and spoke in a strained tone.

"Yes. I know you must have so many questions and I will answer them all. But, first I need to get Marceline to the infirmary. She needs to be treated."

"A-Alright..."

* * *

It didn't take long for them to reach the infirmary. The injuries were grave. Marceline had passed out soon after telling them what happened. Flame Princess was surprised seeing the normally composed Bubblegum like this. She seemed almost…fragile. It looked like if you touched her, she would shatter into a million pieces.

"I'll leave you two alone." Flame Princess said.

Bubblegum stood up.

"No, I promised you answers and I'm going to give you them." She said shakily.

"It's alright." Flame Princess said firmly.

"But, I-"

"You need to be with her. I can wait. Besides, you look like you could use some rest."

Princess Bubblegum walked up and hugged her tightly. Flame Princess, a little unsure of what to do, patted her on the shoulder. Bubblegum let her go and smiled.

"Thank you. I can't believe I ever thought you were evil. No words can describe how wrong I was."

"I do my best."

* * *

Outside the room, Flame Princess leaned against the wall. She couldn't contain all the thoughts running rampant in her mind. It was hard to not think about what was happening. She was going to die and her father was on his way to kill Finn; He probably blamed him for what was going to happen. She had to stop him somehow. He couldn't do this. Finn had nothing to do with whatever was happening. She knew that. Hopefully, Bubblegum could answer her questions and give her a better understanding of the whole situation. To be honest, she worried about Finn. What was he going to do if she died? He loved her as much as she loved him.

"I hope this all ends alright…" Flame Princess sighed.

* * *

Marceline awoke from her sleep and found Bubblegum asleep in a chair next to her. She noticed that her right eye wasn't opening. Looking at her body, she noticed bandages covered quite a lot of her.

"_I shouldn't have survived this. I'm lucky he didn't decide to kill me right there. I would have been helpless._" She thought grimly.

"Bonnie…" She said softly, trying to get Bubblegum's attention.

Bubblegum's eyes opened slowly and she grabbed Marceline's hand.

"You're awake..." She said happily.

"Bonnie... Why isn't my eye opening?"

Bubblegum's face fell. She looked at her and sighed softly.

"Maybe you'd better see for yourself."

She pulled down a mirror from the ceiling and faced it toward Marceline. Looking at it with a cool expression, Marceline felt her face. The right side was a dark color and her eye was squeezed tightly shut. It looked horrible...

"Marceline... The burns on the right side of your face are the deepest. Your-Your eye.. It's dead. Even with your advanced healing, these scars won't ever heal and you're completely blind in your right eye if it does open."

"Wow. Is there anything good about this?" Marceline said sarcastically.

Bubblegum squeezed her hand tightly.

"You're alive. He could have killed you, Marcie..."

"Yeah. It's good that he decided to use me as a messenger."

"Please, Marceline... Take this seriously. Too much is happening right now for me to handle alone... I'm about to break..." Bubblegum said shakily, looking down.

Marceline squeezed her hand and smiled. She put her other hand to Bubblegum's chin and raised her head to face her.

"Hey, I'm still here. Not going anywhere as you can see."

Bubblegum smiled a little. But, not for long. She looked back down.

"I-I… Just wish I could help them. But, anytime I do, it just worsens the situation…"

"Don't try to handle all of this yourself, Bonnie. You did what you could, given the circumstances. Don't beat yourself up. Don't get lost in trying to save everyone. Sometimes you can't-"

"Look what happened to you, Marceline! I decided to send you to Flame King and you were almost killed! I don't know what I would've done if that had happened! You would've been gone and it would have been…" Bubblegum sniffled a little and continued. "My fault…"

Tears rolled slowly down her cheeks. Marceline raised Bubblegum's head to face her own and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. Bubblegum looked at her, a little surprised. Marceline smiled warmly.

"I can't die. Who would be your problem, then?"

* * *

Finn had turned the castle upside-down in search of Bubblegum. He couldn't find her anywhere. He was now walking down the medical wing of the castle, as it was the only he hadn't looked yet. He rounded a corner quickly and crashed into Flame Princess, who had been standing outside a door.

"Ow." She said, rubbing her head.

"Flame Princess? What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for Bubblegum."

"Uh…Why?"

"She's going to give me answers." Flame Princess said vaguely.

Finn didn't know what was going on or why Flame Princess needed answers or even what she needed answers for. But, he had been looking for Flame Princess. That was the reason he had gone to see Bubblegum anyway.

"I have to tell you something…"

"Let me guess… I'm dying."

Finn gasped in surprise. How did she know that?!

"Wh-I-You…"

"Bubblegum told me when Marceline was brought in…"

"Marceline? What does she have to do with this?"

"Finn…Can we go talk about this privately?"

"I think we need to." Finn said quietly.

Flame Princess knocked on the door.

"Bubblegum? I need to talk to Finn. But, I'll be right back."

The door opened and Bubblegum stepped out.

"No. I need to speak to both of you. Now that Marceline is resting well, you need to be updated on what is happening."

Bubblegum motioned for them to follow her. They all headed to the lab and Bubblegum shut the door behind them. Finn turned around to face her.

"Why did you tell her if I couldn't?"

"Finn, given the circumstances, I had no choice."

Flame Princess looked to Finn and grabbed him by the hand.

"Finn, we have more important things to deal with right now."

"Agreed." Bubblegum said.

"What is it?"

"Yesterday, Marceline went to deliver the news of Flame Princess. To explain that her condition was caused by the large burst of fire blasted out on that night. Finn, as you know, Flame Princess' genetic material has become unstable."

"That's what was causing this?" Flame Princess asked.

"I'm afraid so. There is no cure that I can find."

"I see. But, what do Marceline and my father have to do with this?"

"Based on her account, he went completely insane and beat her to within an inch of her life. He showed no remorse. Apparently, he blames her condition on Finn. He's coming to kill him." Bubblegum paused. "If he could do that to Marceline, I'd hate to see what else he can do."

"He needs to be stopped." Finn said solemnly.

Flame Princess looked around uneasily.

"I can't believe he would do this…" She said softly.

"Well, he did. Now he's coming for Finn and I won't let him do what he did to Marceline happen to anyone else."

"Can we just stop him? Maybe he isn't thinking clearly… I mean, his daughter is dying…" Finn said.

Bubblegum looked out the window.

"You're right. We'll give him one chance to end this. If he doesn't, we won't have a choice."

"Thank you." Flame Princess said gratefully.

"I guess the only thing we can do is wait…"

Bubblegum looked at Flame Princess and gave a small smile.

"I guess I'll leave you guys alone. I need to go check up on Marceline."

They waited until she had closed the door to begin speaking.

"Finn, we have a lot to talk about."

"I know."

* * *

**Sorry for the lateness. **

**I'm thinking of making a comic of this story... What do you think?**

**Tell me in the comments.**


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

"Finn, I understand why you couldn't tell me… I don't care about that…"

Finn was holding her hands tightly in his, like he never wanted to let them go. She knew the feeling. It felt like if they let go now, they would never see each other again. They only had four short days left. It wasn't enough. It could never be enough.

"Finn, what are you going to do when I'm gone?"

Finn's face darkened.

"I…don't know…" He said softly.

"Finn… I want you to promise me something…"

"Anything…"

"When I die, don't hold on to me… Don't let my...Don't let my death hold you back. I'm not worth that. No love is worth that kind of pain."

"Yes, it is! How am I supposed to just forget you? I love you."

"If you do love me as you say that you do, you'll let me go. I don't want to hold you back, Finn."

"If you die, it wouldn't matter what was holding me back! I would have no reason to push forward!"

She jerked her hands away and pointed her finger toward him.

"This is what I'm talking about, Finn! You have every reason to keep pushing forward! You're brave, you're smart, you're strong-"

"None of that matters if I'm alone!" Finn sobbed, tears rolling down his face.

Flame Princess stopped and looked at him sympathetically. She put her arms around his quivering body. He was like Princess Bubblegum had been earlier. It was hard to imagine that a guy as strong and courageous as Finn could be so fragile. Of course, everyone has that side of them. A side so vulnerable, that only a special few are allowed to see it. Those special few are lucky.

"Finn… I just don't want to cause you any more pain…"

Finn lifted his head up toward hers.

"I'm sorry for yelling. I…"

"I know."

"I just don't want to lose you."

"It's life, Finn."

"I know. But, why does it have to take away what you love?" He said, hugging her.

"I don't understand it either, Finn…"

* * *

Miles away, Flame King was preparing for the fight. The people of the Fire Kingdom all worried about their king. He was attacking, but bringing no army with him. His actions seemed out of character. He looked sick. His face had a greenish color to it, as if he hadn't taken care of himself during a sickness.

"**Three days, Finn the Human. Three days and you will pay for what you did to me…**"

"Sire?"

Flame King lashed around and faced one of his subjects.

"**What do you want, insect?! I have little time for games!**"

"Sire, your people are worried about you. You haven't been acting right and your obsession with Finn the Human is borderline insanity. Frankly, sir it's…"

"**It's what?!**"

"It's like you don't care that your daughter is dying…"

"**HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!**" Flame King roared, smacking the poor person with the back of his hand.

Flame King stood over his body yelling at him.

"**IF YOU EVER SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, I WILL KILL YOU!**"

"Y-Yes, sir…" he said before leaving the King's chambers.

* * *

_Day 2_

Flame Princess walked outside the palace. This was the last night that she would ever spend alive. It was disheartening, yes, and she felt a little scared that she was feeling weaker. But, she felt that she had spent her last days well. Finn had been by her side every step of the way. The only reason he wasn't now was because a monster had attacked a small village and she had urged him to go. Reluctantly, he had agreed to go. But, only if she stayed in the castle. He promised that it wouldn't take long and he would be back shortly to spend the night with her. She had enjoyed her time with him, but felt like she needed a little time to herself. After all, tonight was as good a night as any to be someone's last. The moon glowed brightly and shed beautiful glows across the land. She would miss that. While looking around, she heard the soft sounds of a guitar playing and looked toward the noise. Marceline was up on the roof, looking at the moon. Flame Princess launched herself up to the roof with a little fire and sat down next to her.

"What are you doing up here?" Flame Princess asked.

"What are **you** doing up here?" Marceline replied.

"Just having some time to myself…"

"Same here."

Marceline adjusted her hold on guitar and continued playing.

"Don't you usually have some sort of axe-bass thing?"

"That's at my house. I've been in the infirmary and this is the only thing I could get my hands on… I still have to be treated, but they let me have some fresh air."

"I see…"

"So, where's Finn? I would have thought he'd want to spend his last night with you together."

"He had to defend a village. He'll be back shortly."

"Oh."

They were both silent for a moment as Marceline continued to play.

"Does that hurt?"

"Huh?"

"Your eye. Does it hurt?"

"Not as much anymore. I still can't open it though. Bonnie said these scars won't heal."

"I'm sorry he did that to you."

"Don't be. Nothing you could have done would have changed a thing. Besides, now I look tough."

"How can you be so carefree about this? You can't see out of that eye and he scarred half of your face."

"I still have the other one, don't I?"

Flame Princess smiled a little and looked back at the moon. She sighed and looked down.

"I hope he doesn't try and fight him. If he really is evil… I can't let Finn be the one to kill him."

"We can only hope, I guess."

Marceline looked down and saw Finn approaching.

"Guess your ride is here, kiddo."

"Wow. That **was** quick."

Flame Princess turned to leave when Marceline put a hand on her shoulder.

"Flame… Don't worry. It'll all turn out alright."

"How can you possibly know that?"

"Lived for a thousand years… I know that things have a way of landing on their feet."

"Not for me."

"The end is never the end. It's the start of something new."

"We can only hope."

* * *

_The Final Day_

Bubblegum could see the fire coming at dawn. The forest was being burned down in a straight line.

"He's coming." She said softly.

The day had arrived. A horrible day. The death of a princess. Bubblegum knew she was holding on to false hope thinking that he would stop. In her heart, she knew he wouldn't. No man still good could do what he had done to Marceline. She was prepared for the worst.

"Peppermint Butler!"

"Yes, madam?"

"Ready my weapon."

"Right away!" He said, running down the hall.

"Uh, Peppermint?"

"Yes?"

"It's that way." She said, pointing in the other direction.

"Of course!"

* * *

Flame Princess was walking with Finn toward the castle. She knew Finn hadn't wanted her to come, but this was something that she needed to do. He was her father. She had to face him for what he'd done. They saw Bubblegum standing in front of the castle, looking serious and wearing a strange glove on her hand.

"What are you guys doing here?" Bubblegum asked seriously.

"I have to talk to him. I need to know why he did this."

Bubblegum looked sadly at her.

"You know he's not going to quit…"

"I know… I just need to know why… How could he do this?" Flame Princess said, crying a little.

There was a loud crash as the forest clearing exploded. They looked to where the explosion had occurred. Standing in the clearing was Flame King. His face looking ill and with a greenish look. He was obviously sick. Bubblegum stood firm.

"Flame King! We give you one chance! Leave now or face judgment!" She yelled.

"**I will do no such thing, girl. Give me Finn the Human.**"

"I would rather die!"

"**Death it is, then.**"

Flame King started walking forward. Flame Princess ran and stopped right in front of him, blocking his path.

"Father, stop! This isn't right!"

"**What do you know of right? Out of my way!**" He said, smacking her aside.

"Hey!"

Flame King turned around.

"I'm Finn the Human and you won't lay another finger on her!"

"**Finn the Human. You will die for what you have done.**"

Finn charged forward, but was stopped by a bubble being put around him.

"Huh?"

"You can't hurt him, Finn. He's made of fire, remember?" Bubblegum said.

She moved him behind her and released him.

"How do we beat him, then?"

"Cut off his oxygen. I made this weapon to contain his exact power type. The more he struggles, the more oxygen he loses. His fire will be put out."

She shot a bubble and hit Flame King directly. He yelled and pounded it with his fists.

"It's no use! The more you struggle, the weaker you'll become!"

Flame King scowled and then smirked. He began to glow.

"What the-"

The bubble exploded violently, knocking Bubblegum and Finn back.

"**FINN THE HUMAN WILL DIE!**"

"No, he won't." A weak murmur came from behind him.

Flame King turned around to find his daughter in front of him. The flame on her head was dangerously small.

"**Daughter..**"

"I…AM NOT YOUR DAUGHTER!" She screamed, flying forward and crashing into him.

They both flew out into the forest and were heard landing with a loud crash.

"What is she doing?!" Bubblegum yelled.

"C'mon! We have to help her!" Finn yelled, already several feet ahead.

* * *

Flame King lay on his back and groaned in pain. Flame Princess stood over his body.

"How dare you try to hurt them!" She yelled

"**They are scum for assisting him…**"

Flame Princess grabbed him by the throat.

"Well…My time's almost up, "Daddy". And if I'm dying, I'm taking you with me!" She yelled, beginning to absorb his power.

Flame King started laughing. It was a deep, cruel laugh. This….This wasn't her father…. She tried to stop the flow of power, but it wouldn't stop. A black smoke began to flow off him and around her.

"What's happening?!" She cried in panic, pulling her hand away.

It was no use. The black smoke was closing in around her, choking her. There was no escape. It was everywhere.

"_Is this death?_"

She collapsed on the ground, the smoke absorbing in through her skin.

Flame King awoke with a gasp. The memories of the last thirteen days flying back to his mind. It had been inside him, controlling him. Where was she? He had to make sure she was alright!

"Where are you?"

"**Right here.**" Her voice said darkly.

Flame King looked in horror at his daughter. Her eyes had a sickly green glow to them. Her face was twisted into a hideous smile.

"Get away from my daughter!"

"**You old fool… I will do no such thing. This body will be much more efficient to my goal than yours. She has much power, but not much time to live. I will change this…**"

"No!"

"**Yes, she will be the perfect vessel…**"

Flame King struggled to get up. He had to stop him! But, he was too weak and she was too fast. Her hand was back at his throat the minute he moved.

"**I have no use for you anymore, Flame King. Die like a man."**

"W-What do you want with her?" He choked.

"**She will bring me closer to Finn the Human than you ever could. I will lie dormant within her sub-conscious until the time is right…She won't even know I am there.**"

"You can't do this…"

"**You fool. You don't have a say in this. You can't stop me.**"

"He'll stop you, Lich…"

"**I would like to see him try. I hold the body he holds most dear hostage. He will comply. The end will begin with your death.**" She said, grinning.

"I know you can't hear me in there… But… I love you, Flame Princess. I'm so sorry… I failed you…" Flame King said with tears running down his face.

"**Shut up.**" She said, absorbing the last of his power.

His flame went out and his body turned to ash. Flame King was dead.

"**The end begins today.**" She said before passing out on the ground.

* * *

"_Is she ok?_"

"_I don't know, Finn. Give her some space…"_

"_She isn't moving…"_

"_What the..."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Her flame…It's…Normal again…"_

"_That's impossible…Isn't it?"_

"_I don't know…"_

Flame Princess groaned and sat up.

"Flame Princess?" Finn asked.

"Finn? I'm alive?"

"Yeah. Get up slowly. You took quite a fall…"

Bubblegum and Finn helped her up.

"M-My father?"

"He's dead. He must have been killed in the impact."

"No. I had to absorb his power. It was the only way…"

"I'm sorry."

"No. He was pure evil. He deserved what he got…"

At the infirmary, they discovered that she had regained her full power. Almost as a miracle, her condition was completely gone. There was no trace of anything. She was not going to die.

"But, how?" Flame Princess asked in confusion.

"Hey, I'm just as puzzled as you are. By all means, you shouldn't be alive."

Finn and Flame Princess hugged each other tightly.

"I'm glad you're back." Finn said softly.

"Me too, Finn. Me too."

**End.**

* * *

**Thanks for reading and for your support! I loved writing this.**

**I hope to continue this story. Until next time!**


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